Sylvia Schwartz

A Field of Grass

2014

In Sylvia Schwartz' structures, silicone molds are cast from both natural and hand-made forms, including clay coils, volcanic rock patterns, seaweed, and her own fingerprints.

The human trace is apparent through the repetition of shapes and textures in both the natural and man-made elements, providing a measure of stability, a reference point. These manmade and natural forms merge, revealing our inexplicable dependence on nature. Through this melding of two entities, new life is breathed into the art object.

Paper is an exciting medium for the artist, allowing her to sculpt, draw and paint simultaneously. Starting with the liquid pulp, layering sheets into molds. I add handfuls of pigmented pulp so that the color becomes part of the structure. The flow of the pulp (a natural phenomenon in itself) meshes with the forms to join the natural and human elements. Schwartz becomes the conductor, helping the pulp diverge and converge under the constraints provided by the mold. When the molds are removed from the sheets, they leave evidence of form, time, transformation, rebirth and decay.

Based in NYC, Sylvia Schwartz works with paper, plaster, resin and photography. Schwartz has worked extensively at Dieu Donne Papermill; casting primarily with molds made directly from findings on the beach. With nature as a starting point, Schwartz’s work transforms something that is no longer living in the present moment.

Schwartz received a degree in fine art from the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia, and later studied sculpture at Columbia University. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, including BWAC, Nurture Art, ODETTA, Lesley Heller Gallery and the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. Her work was featured in the book Attachments by Anne Marie Dannenberg.